Is Benjamin Franklin School a good school?

Benjamin Franklin School ranks 218 th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Benjamin Franklin School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 354 students attended Benjamin Franklin School.

What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Franklin School?

Students at Benjamin Franklin School are 53% Hispanic, 28% White, 10% African American, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Benjamin Franklin School attend?

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin School usually go on to attend: Middle : Lincoln Middle School High : Orville H. Platt High School

Benjamin Franklin School

Summary:

Benjamin Franklin School is an elementary school in Meriden, Connecticut, serving 354 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Meriden School District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, and has a diverse student population with a majority Hispanic enrollment.

Benjamin Franklin School has shown steady improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from the bottom 25% of Connecticut elementary schools to the middle 50% in recent years. The school performs well on standardized tests, particularly in English Language Arts, and stands out for its strong performance among Hispanic, special education, and low-income students. With a high percentage of students (around 72-74%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the school is effectively serving a population with significant economic challenges.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Meriden School District, Benjamin Franklin School performs similarly or slightly better, especially in English Language Arts. However, it lags behind some higher-performing schools in the district, such as Thomas Hooker School. By building on its strengths and addressing areas for improvement, Benjamin Franklin School has the potential to further enhance its performance and provide a high-quality education for all its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

426 West Main St.
Meriden, CT 06450

(203) 235-7997

District: Meriden School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
218^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,386

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin School usually attend:

Middle:	Lincoln Middle School
High:	Orville H. Platt High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 354

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.5%

White:

28.2%

African American:

9.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.7%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Benjamin Franklin School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Benjamin Franklin School ranks better than 56.1% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 4^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Meriden School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.72. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Benjamin Franklin School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Meriden School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Benjamin Franklin School is $20,386, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Meriden School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Benjamin Franklin School:

SchoolDigger ranks Benjamin Franklin School 218^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Benjamin Franklin School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Meriden School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Meriden School District 111^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Benjamin Franklin School?

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Rank History for Benjamin Franklin School

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Rank History for all students at Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	16.55	496^th	570	13.0%
2007	28.99	454^th	568	20.1%
2008	30.93	445^th	565	21.2%
2009	24.84	469^th	566	17.1%
2010	35.16	444^th	579	23.3%
2011	33.76	435^th	565	23.0%
2012	33.59	435^th	564	22.9%
2013	32.64	428^th	557	23.2%
2015	27.54	413^th	551	25.0%
2016	17.82	419^th	518	19.1%
2017	19.35	401^st	519	22.7%
2018	27.28	383^rd	532	28.0%
2019	42.29	305^th	522	41.6%
2021	44.57	285^th	538	47.0%
2022	45.55	270^th	490	44.9%
2023	49.17	243^rd	491	50.5%
2024	56.72	218^th	497	56.1%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	71.10	78^th	371	79.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	75.98	48^th	302	84.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	32.78	174^th	242	28.1%
2021	44.10	241^st	455	47.0%
2022	27.23	177^th	234	24.4%
2024	47.80	141^st	237	40.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	27.02	191^st	247	22.7%
2021	34.96	268^th	445	39.8%
2022	37.18	154^th	232	33.6%
2024	48.70	139^th	233	40.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	52.14	45^th	101	55.4%
2019	64.86	29^th	112	74.1%
2021	70.77	34^th	173	80.3%
2022	85.33	5^th	99	94.9%
2023	76.18	14^th	108	87.0%
2024	92.68	9^th	111	91.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Benjamin Franklin School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	253	34	0	89	1	n/a	n/a	0	377
1989	268	28	0	101	1	n/a	n/a	0	398
1990	262	34	3	107	1	n/a	n/a	0	407
1991	270	37	1	106	0	n/a	n/a	0	414
1992	250	32	4	117	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1993	258	30	5	104	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1994	234	34	1	109	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
1995	246	40	6	118	0	n/a	n/a	0	410
1996	246	40	6	118	0	n/a	n/a	0	410
1997	219	40	7	113	0	n/a	n/a	0	379
1998	190	38	6	128	0	n/a	n/a	0	362
1999	200	57	5	159	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
2000	223	44	5	182	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
2001	230	50	6	184	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
2002	229	46	10	194	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
2003	229	46	10	194	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
2004	209	51	11	188	1	n/a	n/a	0	460
2005	213	62	21	205	0	n/a	n/a	0	501
2006	240	72	20	225	0	n/a	n/a	0	557
2007	190	64	17	179	0	n/a	n/a	0	450
2008	182	55	16	181	0	n/a	n/a	0	434
2009	206	57	20	182	1	n/a	n/a	0	466
2010	201	56	20	178	3	n/a	n/a	0	458
2011	188	54	12	204	2	0	7	0	467
2012	215	53	17	197	6	0	8	0	496
2013	190	54	15	225	4	1	11	0	500
2014	159	51	18	175	4	1	6	0	414
2015	137	41	23	173	5	0	8	0	387
2016	112	29	25	163	9	0	8	0	346
2017	107	27	20	176	7	1	7	0	345
2018	105	41	13	188	0	1	11	0	359
2019	103	32	11	193	0	1	12	0	352
2020	106	32	4	192	0	1	20	0	355
2021	99	30	3	188	0	2	20	0	342
2022	103	27	3	193	0	2	23	0	351
2023	100	34	4	186	1	0	27	2	354

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Benjamin Franklin School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	377	23.0	16.3	n/a
1989	398	24.0	16.5	n/a
1990	407	23.0	17.6	n/a
1991	414	23.0	18.0	n/a
1992	403	22.3	18.0	34.2
1993	397	23.8	16.7	3.3
1994	378	21.6	17.5	43.7
1995	410	23.8	17.2	41
1996	410	23.8	17.2	41
1997	379	25.6	14.8	35.4
1998	362	27.3	13.3	42.3
1999	421	32.1	13.1	48.5
2000	454	34.2	13.3	45.2
2001	470	35.3	13.3	n/a
2002	479	35.8	13.4	53.9
2003	479	35.8	13.4	53.9
2004	460	35.5	13.0	52.2
2005	501	31.3	16.0	n/a
2006	557	32.9	16.9	45.1
2007	450	30.0	15.0	55.3
2008	434	34.0	12.8	53.2
2009	466	38.3	13.9	56.9
2010	458	30.9	14.7	57.4
2011	467	32.5	14.3	60.8
2012	496	32.5	15.2	63.7
2013	500	37.0	13.4	65
2014	414	33.0	12.5	67.9
2015	387	28.0	13.8	65.6
2016	346	39.0	8.8	73.4
2017	345	30.3	11.3	68.4
2018	359	29.5	12.1	72.7
2019	352	23.2	15.1	73
2020	355	25.7	13.7	73
2021	342	25.6	13.3	71.6
2022	351	28.0	12.5	71.8
2023	354	27.0	13.0	73.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Benjamin Franklin School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	377	23.0	16.3	n/a
1989	398	24.0	16.5	n/a
1990	407	23.0	17.6	n/a
1991	414	23.0	18.0	n/a
1992	403	22.3	18.0	34.2
1993	397	23.8	16.7	3.3
1994	378	21.6	17.5	43.7
1995	410	23.8	17.2	41
1996	410	23.8	17.2	41
1997	379	25.6	14.8	35.4
1998	362	27.3	13.3	42.3
1999	421	32.1	13.1	48.5
2000	454	34.2	13.3	45.2
2001	470	35.3	13.3	n/a
2002	479	35.8	13.4	53.9
2003	479	35.8	13.4	53.9
2004	460	35.5	13.0	52.2
2005	501	31.3	16.0	n/a
2006	557	32.9	16.9	45.1
2007	450	30.0	15.0	55.3
2008	434	34.0	12.8	53.2
2009	466	38.3	13.9	56.9
2010	458	30.9	14.7	57.4
2011	467	32.5	14.3	60.8
2012	496	32.5	15.2	63.7
2013	500	37.0	13.4	65
2014	414	33.0	12.5	67.9
2015	387	28.0	13.8	65.6
2016	346	39.0	8.8	73.4
2017	345	30.3	11.3	68.4
2018	359	29.5	12.1	72.7
2019	352	23.2	15.1	73
2020	355	25.7	13.7	73
2021	342	25.6	13.3	71.6
2022	351	28.0	12.5	71.8
2023	354	27.0	13.0	73.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Benjamin Franklin School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$16,273
2019	$16,934
2020	$17,202
2021	$19,112
2022	$19,039
2023	$20,386

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Benjamin Franklin School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 305^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 243^rd of 491 Elementary schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Benjamin Franklin School)	56.1	41.5	14.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Meriden School District)	51.9	41.1	10.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Benjamin Franklin School)	47.4	43.1	4.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Meriden School District)	49.8	48.2	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Benjamin Franklin School)	57.1	45	12.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Meriden School District)	52.5	43.1	9.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Benjamin Franklin School)	40.3	55	14.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Meriden School District)	45.6	44.2	1.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Benjamin Franklin School)	64.6	57.9	6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Meriden School District)	55.9	49.3	6.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.3	6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Benjamin Franklin School)	36.9	54.4	17.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Meriden School District)	41.5	42.2	0.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	352	354	0.6%
African American	32	34	6.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	11	4	63.6%
Hispanic	193	186	3.6%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	103	100	2.9%
Two or More Races	12	27	125%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73%	73.7%	0.7%

Schools Near Benjamin Franklin School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SBAC English Language Arts (2024)			SBAC Mathematics (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Benjamin Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-5	426 West Main St.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 235-7997	354	27	13.0	73.7%	100 (28.2%)	34 (9.6%)	186 (52.5%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.6%)	56.7	218^th of 497 public elementary schools	56.1%		49.2	243^rd of 491 public elementary schools	50.5%	25	56.9	50.0	54.7	63.1	50.0	50.0	55.4	$20,386
John Barry School	Public	PK, KG-5	124 Columbia St.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 237-8831	472	36	13.2	86.9%	52 (11.0%)	66 (14.0%)	324 (68.6%)	8 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)	55.1	225^th of 497 public elementary schools	54.7%		41.5	275^th of 491 public elementary schools	44.0%	50		50.6	53.6	50.0	63.6	70.2	39.6	$15,073
Casimir Pulaski School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Clearview Ave.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 238-1273	576	41	14.0	87.2%	98 (17.0%)	54 (9.4%)	390 (67.7%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	44.6	269^th of 497 public elementary schools	45.9%		33.3	314^th of 491 public elementary schools	36.0%	45	45.9	53.7	43.8	44.9	57.9	44.8	42.9	$14,812
Israel Putnam School	Public	PK, KG-5	133 Parker Ave.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 237-8493	500	34	14.8	76.8%	106 (21.2%)	62 (12.4%)	287 (57.4%)	16 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.6%)	68	180^th of 497 public elementary schools	63.8%		58.2	212^th of 491 public elementary schools	56.8%	32	61.5	52.4	61.3	65.9	58.3	69.6	61.5	$15,359
Hanover School	Public	PK, KG-5	208 Main St.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 235-6359	427	42	10.1	62.5%	120 (28.1%)	27 (6.3%)	259 (60.7%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	30.9	318^th of 497 public elementary schools	36.0%		32.1	321^st of 491 public elementary schools	34.6%	3	32.5	27.7	41.7	36.9	42.0	50.0	42.2	$21,017
Roger Sherman School	Public	PK, KG-5	64 North Pearl St.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 238-1286	475	37	12.9	83.6%	68 (14.3%)	55 (11.6%)	318 (66.9%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.3%)	50.8	243^rd of 497 public elementary schools	51.1%		29.4	328^th of 491 public elementary schools	33.2%	85		50.5	57.0	41.7	50.5	63.5	45.2	$15,584
Nathan Hale School	Public	PK, KG-5	277 Atkins St. Ext.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 237-7486	523	37	14.2	73.6%	119 (22.8%)	60 (11.5%)	300 (57.4%)	12 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.7%)	60.8	207^th of 497 public elementary schools	58.4%		46.2	256^th of 491 public elementary schools	47.9%	49	49.4	59.5	61.6	64.4	60.8	61.6	42.7	$15,280
Thomas Hooker School	Public	PK, KG-5	70 Overlook Rd.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 237-8839	354	24	15.0	60.5%	106 (29.9%)	22 (6.2%)	194 (54.8%)	11 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.9%)	78.8	120^th of 497 public elementary schools	75.9%		70	167^th of 491 public elementary schools	66.0%	47		70.6		75.0	67.6	66.7		$15,743
Mary G. Fritz Elementary School of Yalesville	Public	3-5	415 Church Street	Yalesville	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 284-6900	283	29	9.9	26.9%	213 (75.3%)	5 (1.8%)	37 (13.1%)	16 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (3.9%)	71.9	160^th of 497 public elementary schools	67.8%		73.9	147^th of 491 public elementary schools	70.1%	13	72.5	45.9	64.0	70.3	66.2	64.0	64.8	$20,683
Highland School	Public	PK, KG-2	200 Highland Avenue	Wallingford	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 294-3970	294	24	12.3	25.9%	231 (78.6%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (12.2%)	11 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.8%)								(n/a)								$21,076

Benjamin Franklin School

Benjamin Franklin School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Meriden School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Benjamin Franklin School

Rank History for all students at Benjamin Franklin School

Rank History for Special Education students at Benjamin Franklin School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Benjamin Franklin School

Rank History for Female students at Benjamin Franklin School

Rank History for Male students at Benjamin Franklin School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Benjamin Franklin School

Enrollment information for Benjamin Franklin School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Benjamin Franklin School

Student/Teacher Ratio Benjamin Franklin School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Benjamin Franklin School

Impact of COVID-19 on Benjamin Franklin School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Benjamin Franklin School